Aioli Have Eyes for You

Aioli. The classy diner's cure to the otherwise "low brow" french fries. I must say, I've never been a fan of the idea of aioli on french fries. Suitable sauces, to me, include ketchup, ranch dressing, and barbecue sauce. Aioli always seemed to take away the rustic feeling I get when I eat fries. It always made me feel too fancy. Despite these feelings, however, I do occasionally crave a different taste than what I'm used to, and dipping fries in aioli fulfills such a need. So, for my french fry dinner at home, I decided to make my own aioli to dip the fries in.

Like most things about the kitchen and cooking, I was oblivious as to what aioli actually was. A quick google search brought up a lovely site on Wikipedia that explains things a bit. Traditional aioli is mainly comprised of garlic and oil. Most recipes, however, add egg in order to ease in the mixing. For my own cooking, I chose a recipe that included egg. If I try it again, I'll likely eliminate the egg to see if I can still master the mixture, but as a first attempt, I decided to play it safe. 

There are a lot of recipes for aioli on the web, with a variety of variations. I decided upon this one. The only real reason is because it didn't include mustard or mayonnaise (two things I hate), like many of the others I came across did. I want to mention, though, that there are recipes out there that suggest substitutes for the egg yolk for those who don't like the idea of eating raw yolks. 

My first (and only) snag in the recipe was with lack of equipment. The recipe indicates that you need to crush the garlic in a mortar and pestle. Since I don't own a mortar and pestle, I made do with a cup and a bowl. 

My mortar and pestle

(and yes, that is a bowl shaped like an ice cream cone)

After that, it was simply a matter of following the recipe. I added the oil a drop at a time, constantly whisking. This process took a long time, but in the end results were worth it! By the time I added the last of the oil, I had a bowl of aioli sauce! 

I didn't try any variations or extra seasonings, but I may in the future. With this batch, I just made it as is, and began dipping my fries in it. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out. This recipe has given me a new outlook on aioli, and has provided me with one more way of enjoying my favorite food.

Today's Wit: Old colanders never die, they just can't take the strain anymore.